Soyinka’s letter: Sheathe your swords, embrace peaceful co-existence, Emir appeals to Ilorin indigenes 

By Fatai Ahmed

The Emir of Ilorin and Kwara State Council of Chiefs, Mai-Martaba Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari CFR, on Monday ordered indigenes of llorin Emirate to sheathe their swords and close communication in the ongoing controversies generated by the letter written by Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Mallam Abdulazeez Arowona, the Emir noted that peace and tranquility are the major recipes required for the promotion of harmony in the state.

According to him, “His Royal Highness, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari CFR has ordered that nobody should further express their anger on the Isese festival and Prof Wole Soyinka saga under any guide any longer in the interest of peaceful coexistence and harmonious working environment in Nigeria.”

He however appealed to the people of Ilorin Emirate and state at large to continue to live together in peace and restrain from any temptations that may arise from the cancellation of the Isese festival in Ilorin.

Alhaji Sulu-Gambari therefore thanked sons and daughters as well as friends of the Ilorin Emirate for the show of love and concern towards the preservation of the rich tradition and culture heritage of the Ilorin Emirate.

Meanwhile the Alhaji Sulu-Gambari has approved the revival of the annual Emir’s Cup in his honour as requested by the Ilorin Emirate Football Councils led by its chairman, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Owolabi Wopa.

The Emir who gave the approval when the committee visited the monarch in his Palace stressing that the tournament is aimed at promoting peaceful and coexistence in the Ilorin and beyond.

Wopa however assured the monarch that transparency and inclusiveness would be adopted throughout the tournament in order to achieve the objective of the game which will kick-start in the month of September 2023.